Massachusetts Attorney General Coakley to run for governor

BOSTON (Reuters) - Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, a Democrat, said on Monday that she would run for governor, three years after she shocked her party by losing a U.S. Senate race to a Republican in the liberal-leaning state.

"I know what its like to lose a race," she said in a video announcement on her website to launch her campaign for the 2014 election. "But do you know what? It is nothing compared to what so many people go through every day of their lives."

Coakley, 60, was elected Massachusetts Attorney General in 2006. Since then, she has advocated gay marriage rights and won multimillion-dollar settlements from banks for their handling of subprime loans and other lending.

In 2010, she lost a special U.S. Senate election to Republican Scott Brown in what was widely criticized as an aloof campaign. This dealt a blow to the Democratic Party, which viewed the seat as a safe win.

Democrats outnumber Republicans about 3-to-1 among Massachusetts registered voters, but the state has elected four Republican governors since 1990, including last year's presidential nominee Mitt Romney.

Democratic Governor Deval Patrick, who succeeded Romney, has announced he is not seeking a third term, setting the stage for a wide-open race. Other Democrats seeking the governorship include Massachusetts Treasurer Steven Grossman, former U.S. health care official Donald Berwick and former homeland security official Juliette Kayyem.

Charles Baker is the only Republican candidate to declare for the governor's race so far.